Buckle



No-T749589. PATENTED JAN. 12, 1904.

'0; E. SMITH. I

- BUCKLE.

APPLIOATIOH FILED OCT. 10, 1903.

F0 IODIZL.

' amemfo'c I UNITED STATES Patented January 12, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE E. SMITH, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE NORTH & JUDI) MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW BRITAIN, CON- NECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 749,589, dated January 12, 1904.

Application filed October 10, 1903. Serial No. 176,479- (No model.)

To aZZ 1072 0111, 7125 may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE E. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, Hartford county, Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in buckles, and particularly to that class of buckles used in connection with skate straps, shoes, belts, horse-blankets, saddlery, &c., for holding two portions of a strap or the like together.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple form of buckle which may be economically manufactured and which will be efi icient and durable in its operation.

The invention consists in employing a frame having a cross-bar and mounting on this crossbar a clamp or tongue which particularly involves my invention. This clamp is preferably formed of sheet metal and has an integral lip which grips the cross-bar and also portions with notches therein for affording bearings for the clamp on the cross-bar at the ends. This will be particularly understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a buckle embodying the improvements of my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a view showing a sheet-metal blank for forming the clamp before it has been bent up into its final shape and assembled. Fig. 4: is a perspective View of the clamp just before bending the lip down in place on the cross-barand assembling. Fig. 5 is a view of the under side of a slightly-modified form of clamping member.

The frame 1 may be formed of sheet metal, wire, or cast, as is customary in buckles of this general character. It has a cross-bar 2 and a bearing-bar 3. The front and rear ends of the frame are indicated by I and 5, respectively.

The clamp or tongue 6 of my improved buckle is preferably formed of sheet metal, which may be economically used and readily adapts itself to purposes of manufacture. This clamp is blanked out in the form shown in Fig. 3. 7 and 8 are notches which are formed in the side of the blank. When the ears 9 and 10 are bent up at right angles to the main body of the frame, these two notches 7 and 8 are in alinement and adapted to iit onto the ends of the cross-bar 2.

11 is a lip, which may be punched out of the material of the blank and just prior to assembling bent into the position shown in Fig. 4. The final act of assembling simply consists in bending the lip 11 around the crossbar 2, as shown in Fig. 2, when the parts are complete.

The gripping end 12 of the clamp may be formed with serrations or in any other suitable manner, while the opposite end may be formed with an eye or loop 13 for the purpose of attachment.

The clamp when assembled has a broad substantial bearing upon the cross-bar 2. Moreover, it will be noted that by bending up the ears 9 and 10 to form the sides of the clamp a substantial reinforcement is effected.

The lip 11 in the form of my invention shown is centrally located; but I may, if I desire, employ two 01' more of these lips formed of the metal of the clamp in a similar manner, as at 11 in Fig. 5.

VVha-t I claim is 1. A buckle comprising a frame having a cross-bar, a sheet-metal clampmounted on said cross-bar, said clamp having its edges notched and bent up, and aretaining-lip integral with said clamp and embracing said cross-bar when the crossbar rests in the notches.

2. A buckle comprising a frame having a bearing-bar near one end, a cross-bar near the center, a clamping member pivotally mounted on 'said cross-bar, said clamping member having ears at each edge with open recesses and a lip projecting from said member between theears, said cross-bar resting in notches in the ears, said cross-bar resting in notches in said ears and being embraced by the said lip. IO

Signed at New Britain, Connecticut, this 8th day of October, 1903.

CLARENCE E. SMITH.

Witnesses:

H. A. J OHNSON, D. L. VIBBERTS. 

